Blog - Randolph Record

20 Aug

Uwharrie Charter Academy lends support to South Sudan

Bob SuttonNewsEducation, schools

Local school digs helping role ASHEBORO — It seems like a world away for Uwharrie Charter Academy seventh graders, but helping people on another continent find fresh water tends to hit home. For the past five years, students in Suzanne Bryant’s classes have raised money in what’s called the Iron Giraffe Challenge to support water for South Sudan. “The students were very interested,” Bryant said. “Probably close to 700 students have been involved.” That’s because members of the first group to take part in the project have just entered their senior year at the school. Because the school has sent…

20 Aug

Schools embrace new conferences

Bob SuttonSports

Aside from Asheboro, county schools clustered together ASHEBORO — Randolph County schools largely got what they’ve been hoping for in the latest realignment involving the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. The new sports season begins this week and that means the area teams are clustered together in one conference, with the exception of Asheboro High School. But with seven in-county schools all in the same league, the benefits are numerous. “We have wanted this for a while,” said Charlie Chapman, a longtime athletics administrator and coach in the county. “This worked out real good.” Chapman will be the commissioner…

20 Aug

Two file for mayor’s race in Trinity

Bob SuttonGovernment, Newsgovernment, politics, Trinity

Candidates view dealing with development as key topic ASHEBORO — Two candidates will square off for the mayor’s position in Trinity. Sitting mayor Richard McNabb will be opposed by Veronica (Vickee) Armstrong in the Nov. 2 election. McNabb said he sees unfinished business, while Armstrong said she’ll focus on a long-term vision for the community. McNabb was appointed to the position in February 2020 to fill the unexpired term of late mayor Jesse Hill. Prior to that, McNabb spent about a dozen years on the city’s planning and zoning boards, serving as chairman for about half that time. “Somebody has…

19 Aug

New football season begins with chance to upgrade point totals

Bob SuttonSportsfootball, randolph county, sports

Getting the offenses going could be the main mission for Randolph County football teams as the season begins this week. The scheduled openers come Friday night. The 2020 season was wiped out in its traditional manner because of the pandemic. Teams played that season during the spring semester of 2021, so the offseason was shortened. Area teams will hope that was enough to figure out how to crank up the offenses. RANDLEMAN Randleman was an exception to the sluggish offenses for area teams. The Tigers had nine players score at least one touchdown a year ago. Randleman is 32-3 across…

12 Aug

City schools will require masks

Randolph RecordGovernment, News, PoliticsAsheboro, Education, schools

ASHEBORO — Following a last-minute plea from Gov. Roy Cooper, the Asheboro City School Board voted Thursday to require all students within the school system to wear masks as the 2021-22 school year opens. The divided board voted 6-3 to require masks. Board members Ryan Patton, Archie Priest, and Gidget Kidd voted to make mask wearing optional. In a letter to the board dated August 12, 2021, signed by Gov. Roy Cooper, DHHS Sec. Mandy Cohen, and State Health Director Betsey Tilson, state officials urged the board to mandate masks wearing for all students and teachers, regardless of vaccine status.…

12 Aug

GAINEY: Welcome Back

Stephen GaineyBusiness, OpinionsEducation, schools, Stephen Gainey

Dear Randolph County School System Students, Staff Members, and Parents: I want to "welcome everyone back" to the Randolph County School System for the 2021-2022 school year. Please know that I am very excited about the return of our students to school campuses. While our school system has been confronted with many challenges during the past 17 months, I am confident in the fact that many exciting developments for our students, staff members, parents, and members of the surrounding community will occur during the 2021-2022 school year. Nonetheless, our attention will be focused on a return to the basics of…

12 Aug

Creative back-to-school lunches

Jeannie Leonard | For the Randolph RecordBusinessEducation, schools

ASHEBORO — It’s the time of year to begin thinking about back-to-school clothing, shoes, and supplies. But don’t forget that special school lunch box. Children have a lot of high-tech options when it comes to packing their lunch. The choices go well beyond the typical lunch box of yesteryear containing built-in food safety features, thermoses, spaces to slip in frozen gel packs and pockets for utensils and wet wipes. For parents, a more important topic on school lunches is what’s actually in the lunchbox to eat. Parents are used to hearing children talk about trading items in their lunchbox for…

12 Aug

Forty years of flowers

Bob SuttonBusiness, NewsAsheboro, Burge Flower Shop, business, retail

Asheboro woman has designs on customer satisfaction for local shop ASHEBORO — For many of the big occasions for residents around Randolph County, Bettina Hunter has been a part of those. Even if she’s not present at a particular function. But it’s her work in floral design that has provided this form of outreach. “We see them from when they’re born and all the big moments – the happy moments, the sad moments,” Hunter said of customers at Burge Flower Shop. The Asheboro woman completed 40 years of employment at the shop in July – and she’s not ready to…

12 Aug

Jeopardy! Champion coming to Asheboro

Randolph RecordEntertainmentAsheboro, Jeopardy, Sunset Theater

ASHEBORO — Ken Jennings, all-time Jeopardy! champion, will be on stage at the Sunset Theatre Saturday, August 28th at 7pm. Jennings will talk about his experiences appearing on the game show, techniques for winning, and how his life has changed since. Jennings became the stuff of legends when he beat fellow game show champions James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter to be named the "Greatest of All Time" player. He still holds three major Jeopardy! records: longest winning streak, 64 games; highest regular-season winnings, $2,520,700; and highest average number of correct responses per game, 35.9.

12 Aug

RCC pays off student account balances

Randolph RecordBusiness, Government, NewsEducation, Randolph Community College, RCC, schools

ASHEBORO — Randolph Community College recently paid off outstanding student debt for approximately 200 students. The amount totaled nearly $113,000. Any student who was enrolled at the College between March 13, 2020 — the start of the COVID-19 pandemic — until the end of the Summer 2021 semester was eligible for the assistance. In addition to paying off outstanding student account balances, RCC has provided emergency financial assistance for food, housing, laptops, and internet access.